Almarhum
by yin13147
Summary: AU. Bleach version of 'Another'. Ichigo knows something's very wrong with his class. Little did he know that his class is under a dark curse. Ichigo as Kouichi & Ulquiorra as Misaki.
1. July I

**Disclaimer: Bleach will never be mine.**

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><p><span>July 5, 1998<span>

_ 10:21 A.M.  
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A pair of weak legs wobbled around the white room with difficulty.

"Ichigo, are you sure you can already move around? The doctor said that any overexertion and you'll collapse again."

"I don't want to miss anymore of school. It's already July and I was supposed to start at the 9th of June." the nine and a half year-old answered, gradually straightening his legs and eventually he succeeded, being able to walk without his legs making a sudden movement that could make him trip or bend his knees out of reflex.

Just before Ichigo could walk out, the doctor assigned to take care of him walked in with a pair of metal objects that seemed to me meant for the orange head's legs.

"He'll be released this evening. For now, I'll have to put these on him. They'll support his legs as he walks, and the metal's kind of light but strong so you don't have to worry about him walking too slow or too stiff. In a year tops, he can be able to walk normally without any help. But about his lung, he's still going to have to go here twice a week."

His mother agreed, and the boy felt a little relieved.

Now he could go to school, but he had to catch up with all the lessons of the one month that he missed and go back to the hospital for medication of his pneumothorax, and that was the bad part.

_3:54 P.M._

"What are you reading this time?" The nurse asked, peeking at the book that he was holding.

"Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I'm at the middle now, and all I can say is that the dad's too stupid." he answered Orihime Inoue, who had the same hair color as him but of a stronger shade.

"You should understand his pain though. Losing his son just like that..." he looked at Inoue after saying that, implying that she read it too. "You like horror stories too?"

"They're interesting, and I'm not the easily-gets-scared type of person so horror is fine for me." she replied with a sweet smile. Then she looked at her left, where three students wearing uniforms with the same school symbol were waiting.

The boy at the middle has raven hair and midnight blue eyes accompanied with rectangular glasses, the girl at the right has dark brown hair tied in a bun and the boy at the left has spiky white hair and teal eyes.

"It seems they want to talk to you, so I'll leave the four of you alone." With a wave of a hand, she left and a moment of silence passed before the boy wearing glasses spoke up.

"You're name is Ichigo Kurosaki, right?"

A nod was his reply and he continued. "We're students from Grade 3: Section 2, which is the class you're assigned in. I'm Uryuu Ishida." When his hand gestured for the girl to go next, she introduced herself. "I'm Momo Hinamori. Nice to meet you." Then his hand moved to the boy on his right. "And this is -" The silverette cut him off by saying his own name. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Five seconds passed without anyone saying anything, then this time it was Ichigo who broke the silence. "So... why are you here?"

"Oh, right. Well, both me and Hinamori are class officers, and Hitsugaya is the head of countermeasures. We're here as the representatives of our class."

"What do you mean 'countermeasures'?"

They didn't answer his question. Instead, they asked him a new question.

"You're a transferee, right?" Hitsugaya stated.

"We heard that you were supposed to attend school with us on the first day of school but you couldn't because your condition worsened, so in behalf of the whole class the three of us came here to visit you." Hinamori explained as she held out a bouquet of pinkish roses. "These are from all of us."

He accepted the flowers, and then they asked another set of questions.

"If I remember correctly, you're from Hachijou and attended a private school?" she asked. He nodded. "What's you're reason for transferring here to Karakura?"

"My dad was offered a job here and he accepted, so all of my family had to come with him here."

The look on her eyes started to become strange and mysterious. And what came next was a question that was odd for an officer to ask a transferee. "Is this your first time living here, in Karakura?"

"Yeah."

She seemed surprised by the answer. "I thought that you lived here some time before."

"There were times that I have been here, but I never actually_ lived_ here." he answered, then another strange question was asked. "Exactly _how long_ are your visits here?" asked Hitsugaya with a serious look.

"I'm not sure. I was very young when we would come here so maybe I was here for just a short while. But I don't remember much."

He was starting to get confused. The looks in their eyes were the same that it was becoming suspicious, and both Hitsugaya and Hinamori turned to Ishida who carried a brown envelope with him. He proceeded to give it to him. When Ichigo opened it, he saw a stack of paper containing lessons of different subjects.

"These are the copies of the lessons that you missed since June. I hope it helps a lot."

"Thanks. I'll start going to school tomorrow, so it won't be long until I'll see the rest of you." he said with gratitude and relief, now catching up wouldn't have to be difficult. But the fact they were acting strange towards him didn't change.

"Kurosaki?" Ishida called.

"Yes?"

Ishida tried to say something, but had difficulty as he started to look worried. Not worried about him. Worried about something else that Ichigo doesn't know. "Um... well..."

Hitsugaya decided to speak up for him. "Kurosaki... eh... is it okay if we could call you by your first name?"

"Sure." In return, he held out his hand to Ichigo. "We'll do our best to guide you well in your time here, Ichigo." he said with a soft smile. As both shook hands, Ichigo was unaware of the anxious expressions on Ishida and Hinamori's faces.

"We'll ask this again, Ichigo. Are you sure that you have never lived here?"

"I guess not."

_8:05 P.M._

After receiving a text that his parents are waiting outside the hospital, he walked to the elevator and ran in just before the doors closed. Looking at the buttons, the elevator seemed to be going for a floor that he didn't press and only then did he notice someone was behind him.

It was a boy his age with jet black hair, albino skin, and emerald green eyes. His lips were as pale as his skin, and what made his face stand out were the green, tear-like tattoos going below his eyes, and speaking about the eyes his left eye was covered in an eye patch. He could see one pale hand carry a strange-looking doll.

He also noticed, that the boy was wearing the same uniform the three from this afternoon wore. As they descended floor by floor, neither made a sound until the light reached the 4th floor button.

"You're from Karakura High?"

The boy made one small nod, looking blank and so emotionless that it was even eerier than the looks that those three gave saw the light going to the 2nd basement floor button. "Why are you going to the 2nd basement? Isn't that the..."

"I have to give something. She's waiting there. My cousin's waiting for me." Not just his expression or the look in his eyes, the voice was also monotone.

While he was busy noticing that, the door opened and he slowly walked outside, slowly disappearing into the darkness but Ichigo peered his head out the doors and called out for him, making him stop walking.

"Wait! What's your name?"

There was no answer for a while. The lights were slightly blinking, and the machines nearby where whirring to make an odd sound.

And then, the boy said his name.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer." And just after that, he faded away and Ichigo could only look at the darkness in which he vanished into for a short while as the machines whirred even louder. Then he saw the sign hanging up in the ceiling.

**Mechanical Room - Boiler Room **

**Morgue**

July 6, 1998

_7:22 A.M._

As the wind blew through the flowers in their yard, Ichigo woke up from his alarm clock and prepared himself for school. When he was in front of the building, he remembered what his mother told him this morning before he left.

"This is your first time in a public school, Ichigo. So I'll have to tell you a few tips since I studied here when I was your age. First is to always uphold the class rules no matter what. Second is to prioritize being in a group rather than individuality. Then the third is to..."

He went back to reality when his name was called. In front of the entrance door, he saw two people. One was a man with brown hair and eyes and the other is a woman with black hair braided down to her waist.

He ran to them and they introduced themselves.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm the transferee assigned to Grade 3: Section 2."

"I'm the teacher of the same class, Sousuke Aizen. This is Retsu Unohana, the assistant teacher. Now shall we?" The three went inside and through the hallway. Ichigo was behind the two teachers.

"I hope that you would do good with the other students. You can talk to me if you have any problems whatsoever. You can also talk to Unohana, of course." Aizen explained calmly. "Sure. Thanks."

Unohana turned to him as they continued walking. "I hope you have fun." He smiled as a reply.

_7:35 A.M._

With his name written on the middle as the date was written at the right edge of the board, he looked at the class which said nothing and looked as odd as Hitsugaya, Ishida and Hinamori looked yesterday when they visited him.

It was a little unnerving for Ichigo for the atmosphere was so unnatural and almost ghostly.

"I came here for my father was given a job in this town. It's nice to meet you." He had to sound as normal as he could.

"Class, make sure to make him feel welcome here and please treat him nicely. I hope we all can work together and do well so that you can all graduate by March next year." Aizen said, noticing the tense aura Ichigo was emitting from the atmosphere.

"You can take that seat over there." Going to the right area near the back, he took his seat. The class remained silent and strange, but he focused on the seat at the far back and beside the window, where Ulquiorra was, looking out with a lost look.

_8:43 A.M._

As he was the new one in the class, the other students gathered around him and this time they asked him normal questions.

"So, you're okay now? You don't feel tired or anything?" A girl with hair that's spiked all over (Tatsuki) asked. "I'm okay. But I can't attend to any strenuous activities, since I have to watch out for my condition."

"Well at least you already recovered. By the way, how do you compare this town to Hachijou?" asked another girl with dark pink hair tied in twin tails (Riruka). "Both are not that different."

"I wonder what it's like there in Hachijou. Lately, Karakura is starting to go low. There's no more big news and the like." she replied with a soft pout. "I got to agree with her. There's nothing here that's interesting anymore." a boy with short and spiky red hair and amber eyes (Renji) added.

"It doesn't matter. I like living in towns that are peaceful and without much happening for it makes it safer to live in."

"That's true in a way." commented a blonde boy with green eyes (Yukio).

"So exactly what job did your papa get?" questioned a petite girl with light pink hair and eyes (Yachiru) while devouring a lollipop. "He's a doctor, and he'll start working in the hospital by next Monday."

"You attended a private school too back in Hachijou?" asked a boy with bob cut black hair and violet eyes (Rukia). "You know about that?"

"Everybody knows. Both Aizen and Unohana told us that." Hinamori answered. Ichigo's gaze started to wander towards the seat where Ulquiorra sat, and the table looked so old and full of scratches.

They noticed him looking somewhere else. "Ichigo, is something bothering you?" Ishida asked. "It's nothing. By the way, is Toshiro absent today?" Ichigo asked, remembering that one seat was vacant. Ishida nodded and gave a stern look at Renji, as if telling him to do something.

"Say Ichigo, you want us to give you a tour around the school? You're gonna have to get familiar with the place." Renji immediately said after catching Ishida's stare. "Well sure and thanks for the offer."

The ones who weren't talking to him gave Ichigo an analyzing look, but Ichigo was too busy with his newly-made friends to notice that.

_1:12 P.M._

It was time for PE. Everybody was jogging and jumping over obstacles, but Ichigo just sat in a bench and watched them have fun. Of course, he is not allowed to engage himself in those activities for the sake of his health.

Beside him sat another boy with the same white hair as Hitsugaya but it's straight, long and tied in a low ponytail (Ukitake).

"I wonder what it feels like to run." he commented, almost sadly. "When I was still young, I could run and it feels as if you're free. Right now my legs are weak that I can only walk but not run. And along with my lung, I can't run yet until I fully recover from it."

"I'm glad that you at least got to know what it feels like. I wish that at least for once I could run with all I have."

"You have a heart condition since birth, which is why you never attend to any PE. activities or played any sports, right?" Ichigo asked and Ukitake nodded just before the latter winced from chest pain. "I'll go to the clinic and take a rest. Don't worry, it happens all the time so I can go there by myself."

Ichigo watched his fellow classmate leave, then Hinamori called to him. "Ichigo, where did Ukitake go?"

"To the clinic for rest."

"I see..." Ichigo looked down at her legs, where in one ankle was covered in bandages. "Oh, I sprained my ankle this morning." she explained and sat down with him, watching the others pant and take a rest from all the exercising.

"You see Ichigo..." Hinamori spoke up after a while. "Our class doesn't share PE with the other classes. You noticed the other sections do PE together this morning, right?"

"Yeah. But why?"

"That's just how it is." she answered, and turned her head to him. "By the way, you had lunch with Ishida, Abarai and the others during lunch time. Did they tell you anything?"

"Well... they gave me a tour." Hinamori seemed surprised yet again from her answer. "That's it?" He nodded, and she looked down with a nervous expression. "I see. We have to be careful, or Hitsugaya-kun will get mad at us." She muttered, and Ichigo noticed one student aside from Hitsugaya was missing.

"Hinamori? I have been wondering... where is Ulquiorra?"

That question that she least expected. Her eyes widened in horror and shock for a moment, but her expression changed when she looked at him again.

"Huh?"

She looked clueless. Ichigo was perplexed by the look on her face. "Ulquiorra Schiffer? You know, the boy wearing an eye patch on the left eye." Though he gave her a good description of the boy, she still claimed she didn't know.

"What?"

"I didn't see him after recess." She said nothing and looked away. He looked up at the sky, and turned to the rooftop behind him where he saw a figure, and after a sharper look he knew it was Ulquiorra.

He immediately lifted himself up and since he can't run, he walked as fast as he could to the rooftop. "Ichigo, where are you going?" Hinamori called, but he ignored her as he walked flight by flight in a slow pace to not tire himself.

He finally reached the rooftop and saw Ulquiorra sitting on a lone bench, drawing on a sketch pad.

As he walked closer to the raven head, the latter paused when he noticed his presence, but continued drawing after a second's glance. "You're watching the PE class too? If you are, then why from up here?"

"There's no point in watching from up close." he replied, his hands moving the pencil all around the paper. Then he paused again and looked at Ichigo, his expression with no emotion like last night. "What about you? Should you be up here?"

He didn't answer that question.

"You remember me from the hospital last night?"

Ulquiorra blinked twice before responding. "You mean from the elevator?" Ichigo nodded. "Don't even try asking me what I'm doing there." He added, discomfort in his voice. "I won't."

The albino turned to the far distance, the wind blowing through them. "Something sad happened at that day." His eyes darted to Ichigo. "Ichigo Kurosaki, did your classmates tell you anything?"

Ichigo grew alert from that. He knew that the class was suspicious, and that question just confirmed it. They really seemed to be hiding something. "Tell me what?"

"They think that you have something to do with death. But not just any death. A horrible death that happened in this school, which is a place close to death. The class that both you and I are in, is the closest to death, more than the other classes of the third grade."

"Death..." He still didn't understand, maunly because it was like a metaphor or a hidden message, what Ulquiorra just said. "So they didn't tell you anything?" He shook his head. "Nothing at all?"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll know over time." Then, his eyes narrowed, giving Ichigo a warning in a low voice. "You should stay away from me. And you should stop talking to me as well. It's for your own good, and for the others' sake as well."

"Why?" What Ulquiorra has been saying to him, he doesn't understand but he knows it's something ominous about the school and his class. "You'll know soon enough." Ulquiorra started to leave, giving Ichigo a creepy look. "Farewell..." A small smile crossed his lips as he went downstairs, and Ichigo stayed standing on the rooftop for a while.

_3:50 P.M._

"So, how's your first day?" Masaki asked while driving through the road. "It's alright..." He looked out the window. It was raining hard, but somehow it made Karakura Town feel more nostalgic for it would usually rain in Hachijou. And then, he saw Ulquiorra again, walking at the corner with a gray umbrella as his shield from the downpour.

Ichigo couldn't take his eyes off the boy though the farther he became from him. "What's wrong?" his mother asked, noticing that he is caught up in something. "Oh, it's nothing."

All throughout the drive back home, the rain refused to stop.

**_To be continued..._**

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><p><strong>AN: Instead of them being 14-15 and in junior year of high-school, instead they're all 9-11 in the third grade of elementary. Bleach characters in fanfictions would most of the time follow their actual ages (not that it's a bad thing), so I'd put a change for that. **

**I know that making their ages like that would make them too young to see horror I know, but it's not always teenagers or adults who would experience something scary. And in my defense, I don't mean any offense to the kids in real life. This is just fanfiction.  
><strong>

**And may I ask a question to those who read/watched Another: should I follow the manga or the anime? The first episode follows the anime, but the rest of the chapters I'm not sure which adaptation of Another should I follow.  
><strong>

**Reviews and constructive criticism are extremely welcome but please no flames.**


	2. July II

**Disclaimer: Bleach will never be mine.**

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><p><span>July 7, 1998<span>

_7:09 A.M._

It was Ichigo's second day of school. The bell rang, and while everybody went in the building for classes, Ulquiorra stayed outside as if he doesn't care whether he's in class or not. He sat on the bench among the bushes of yellow roses in the back corridor, sketching another drawing.

"Hi."

He slowly raised his head, and saw Ichigo. He felt surprise but it didn't show in his emotionless face. Though he warned him to not approach him in any way, he didn't listen and still even did the deed of greeting him and standing in front of him.

"Why..." He can't blame the new student. From their conversation yesterday, he knew that nobody told him about that. It would explain why he didn't pay any heed to his warning. Rising up the bench, his visible eye fixed towards the honey brown eyes. "You're okay with this?"

Again, he didn't get what the albino was talking about. To be honest, he didn't know what his other classmates were talking about when it came to the odd questions especially how they looked at him.

Just then the wind grew stronger, blowing the petals out of their stems and into the atmosphere, a flurry of yellow petals around the two boys.

"Watch out. _It_ may have already started."

Another eerie message, and Ichigo wanted to ask just exactly what he meant by all what he said to him about death and the like, but he didn't as he was sure he wouldn't get any definite answers. Like in the rooftop, he just watched Ulquiorra walk away to someplace that was the opposite direction from the one leading to the classroom.

_10:27 A.M._

The art room was filled with the sound of paintbrushes adding different colors on paper, trying to make a good painting of the fruits set out in front of them, arranged in a bowl.

Unohana walked around, looking at each of the students' works and paused at Hanatarou's work for his looked odd as compared to the others. "What's this?" she asked, confusion in her eyes that analyzed the strange painting of something yellow making a wailing face.

"Umm... it's a lemon... screaming." he replied shyly, as Ichigo looked at his work as well, taking a pause from his own. "You're sure you want to paint the lemon like that?" He nodded, his face reddening from embarrassment.

"Well, if that's what you like. It's not as if against the rules, but save those kinds of works for the art club." sighed Unohana, patting Hanatarou on the head. "I know..."With one last pat, Unohana left to check on the others.

"So, you're fond of Munch's works?" asked Ichigo.

"Sort of. People would usually say that I have a unique style of painting."

"I'm the one who said that first." Hinamori chuckled, before resuming in painting the apple. "So, Hanatarou-kun, why is the lemon screaming?"

"It's not actually screaming. It's the world around him that is screaming, and he's covering his ears because he can't stand the noise. See, here are his hands and the background looks so inverted and confusing."

"I must be honest, your work is a little bizarre but not in a bad way. So you're in the art club?" Hanatarou nodded, and started to ask him a question. "What club are you going to join, Kurosaki?"

"I don't know, I haven't even thought about it yet."

"Would you want to give a shot at the art club?" he asked, as if giving the orange head an invitation. "Hm?"

"Uh well... if you're interested you could give it a try..." They stopped talking when Unohana questioned Renji's work. "And just what is this that you made, Abarai?" she looked even more puzzled at Renji's work than Hanatarou's which meant that the redhead made a weirder output. "A strawberry."

"Why in the world is the strawberry _orange_? They're supposed to be pinkish-red." she scolded, giving Renji a slight pinch on the ear. "I wanted to try something else." That answer got him a pinch on the other ear.

"_He's making fun of me... that's the only reason why he would color the fruit orange._" thought the orange head before resuming in painting the bananas. "So Kurosaki, what do you think?" Hanatarou asked, resuming their conversation. "I'm sort of interested, but I'm still not sure."

"Oh... that's right Ichigo, what do you think of Unohana?" Ichigo was surprised at the topic brought out of the blue but he answered it anyway. "Well she's nice but something's telling me not to take her lightly or I'll regret it."

"Heh, I understand what you mean." he replied, before adding the finishing touches in his work.

Ichigo scanned the whole class painting the fruits, and once again...

"He's not here as well, huh."

_11:49 A.M._

"Hanatarou, about what you painted earlier... doesn't that painting resembling 'The Scream' make you feel nervous?" Ichigo asked as both walked down the hall when it was their break. "Well, I feel nervous when it comes to many things, and I pour all those feelings into that painting which is why I like it."

"So in other words, you like anything that makes you nervous? That's something one wouldn't usually say."

"It's better to accept reality rather than pretend you are unaware of it. That goes for all of us, regardless of who we are." he said solemnly while looking out one of the windows which gave a translucent reflection of him.

"Yo." Both saw Renji, waving with that goofy smile of his. "What are you two talking about?"

"Well, we're talking about something that's a little morbid." Renji turned uneasy from Ichigo's answer. "What is that _morbid something_ you're talking about?"

"Nervousness or in another term, uneasiness and how it's taking up most of people's lives." It seemed to be a huge relief for the redhead for he made a brief laugh through his nose. "That's it?"

"Why, Renji? Don't you ever feel nervous about anything?" Ichigo asked. "Of course, I did! Like how much I was so looking forward for being in the third grade this year, but unfortunately I got stuck with the cursed Section 2."

_'Cursed Section 2...'_

Those words surprised the three of them, but Hanatarou and Renji looked all the more horrified and afraid. They looked away from Ichigo, trying to collect words in their heads to say something to him. He looked at the both of them, and Renji spoke up first.

"Listen Ichigo, there was something that me, Ishida and the others wanted to tell you since yesterday."

Hanatarou stopped Renji from saying more. "Now's not a good time to explain things to him, Abarai-san."

"Still we have to say it some time soon..." Ichigo was about to ask them what they meant, but through the small unclosed space of the door in front of him, he caught the image of Ulquiorra sketching once again. It caught his curiosity, and his eyes were glued towards the boy.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?"

"I think I'll stay in the library." Both Renji and Hanatarou followed where he was looking at, and gasped. They tried to stop him from going in.

"Stop, Ichigo!"

"That's not..."

Nonetheless, he went in and waved a hand to Ulquiorra as a hello. The latter looked at him, but his hand continued to draw. Ichigo slowly approached him, looking at his work which consists of an outline of a young child. "You're okay with that? You heard their calls of saying otherwise about coming in here." he asked.

"I don't even get what they meant, and even if I did I would still come in here."

"Is that so?"

"What's that? Some original work of your own or a model?"

"Both. Once I'm done with this boy, he'll sprout large wings." answered the albino as he darkened the outline. "Is he an angel?"

"Who knows. There are winged people who are not angels. I'll see when I finish it." A moment of silence passed between them, and soon Ulquiorra drew droplets of rain as the background. "Rain is my favorite weather." commented Ulquiorra, whether it's to Ichigo or to himself, he just wanted to say it out loud. "I like rain the most when it falls at the time just before it becomes snow."

"I've been curious for a while, but what's wrong with your left eye?" questioned Ichigo just as Ulquiorra touched his eye patch.

"You want to see?"

"Well if you don't want to then don't." the orange head shrugged. "Then I won't." Just after his reply a new voice spoke in the background.

"Hey, you should go back to class." Ichigo looked at his left and a tall man between in his fifties walked close. He has wavy, shoulder length dark brown hair and sky blue eyes. "Who are you, anyway? I never saw your face before."

"Ichigo Kurosaki from Grade 3: Section 2. I just started studying here since yesterday."

"Oh, so you're the one that got sick and missed the first month. I'm the head librarian, Tensa Zangetsu. You can come here as much as you like, but for now you should get going." Ichigo nodded and walked out, looking back once before closing the door completely.

_6:31 P.M._

"Tensa Zangetsu? Oh, you mean the librarian." stated Masaki while pouring fresh apple juice on her glass. "He is a little.. strange."

"Indeed he is strange. I remember him very well. He is kind of antisocial and always wears black that it makes him unapproachable no matter what you do. Why did you bring him up? Did he say anything to you?"

"Nothing really. I just met him today." in his mind, he thought about how intimidating the man was. "Oh. So Ichigo, did you decide what club you're going to join?"

He shook his head, looking at the yellowish pool in his glass. "Not yet. I was invited to join the art club but drawing's not my skill. I'm most likely for the cooking club though..."

"I can see why. You're always the one who cooks around here, because you want to be of use." she commented while downing in her juice. "Now my legs can't do any extreme stuff, cooking's the only thing I can do good around here. But it won't do good for me if I get in trouble."

"Your legs will be fine in mostly a year like the doctor said so you can fight and play sports with all your might."

"God, I can't wait to be in the fourth grade." And he was really looking forward to it indeed. Though it was just his second day in school, the section he was assigned to is odd and strange. He can tell that from everyone's actions, and from Ulquiorra's words. He couldn't help but get curious when it came to that boy.

_8:12 P.M._

Almost all nurses and doctors are out. The patients are already sleeping. Only few lights are on, but there was still electricity in the hospital as one of the elevators went up to the 6th floor. Inoue sat at the receptionist's desk, finishing the last of her paperwork.

When a shadow appeared in front of her, she looked up and saw Ichigo. "Ah, Ichigo!" He smiled as his greeting.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Is it okay though it's kind of late?"

"It's okay. I wanted some company already." she answered as she signed the final documents before arranging them and leaving the desk, walking to the cafeteria with Ichigo who sat on a chair."

"You're pretty mature, to be allowed to go out this late at night." she commented, getting two cans of soda from the machine.

"I'm actually here for my medication which I already took. And by coincidence you're here so..."

"Oh, I get it you don't have to explain any more. Here you go." he accepted the can and both drank it, before Inoue spoke up. "So, you're done with Pet Sematary?"

"Yeah. What an unfortunate ending, but the story was good. I'm now reading another King novel called 'Christine'. But I just started reading it yesterday."

"Wow, I already read that one. You'll be surprised at each page." she giggled, remembering the excitement and thrill she felt at the horror novel. "And you're the only nine year-old I know who likes horror stories. Others are either just okay with it or too scared to read it."

He sighed while shrugging his shoulders, "I would understand them. And aside from that, I came here to talk about something else."

"Eh? What is it?"

"Did a girl die this Sunday?"

She raised her eyebrows from the unanticipated question. "Sunday? Did anything happen?" she questioned, her fingers tapping on the table. "Now I remember, it was July 5, right? The last day that you were here before you started school?"

He nodded, taking another sip of his soda. "Well, at that same day, I met someone and... well, it caused me to wonder what I just asked you."

"I'm getting the feeling that you're looking for a reason, not for details." sighed Inoue, her eyes closing in on Ichigo's expression from interest. She answered his question anyway. "Among the patients I was assigned with at that day, nobody died."

"If not, then, have you seen a boy wearing a school uniform at the same day?"

"Now it's a boy, huh? Well I'm not sure. Can you give a good description of him?"

"He has deathly pale skin, with green eyes and tear-like tattoos below his eyes, black hair, he was wearing the uniform of Karakura Elementary and has an eye patch on his left eye."

"Wearing an eye patch, so he may have been an opthalmology patient here." Inoue guessed, but Ichigo shrugged, "I'm not so sure about that one though..."

Inoue recalled deeply about July 5, trying to replay everything that she can still remember in her head while her fingers played with the can. Ichigo waited patiently, feeling tense on what she might say next. Each second made the ticking of the clock behind him louder and louder until it started to echo in his ears, and the loud tick-tock disappeared when the nurse spoke up with eyes of surprise and realization.

"Maybe, someone did die at that day."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, the tone of his voice rising a little for he really wanted to know the answer. "I'm not sure, but it's possible. I heard someone say that a patient died at that day, and it was a young girl just your age."

"Can you please tell me her name?" Before Inoue answered, she took a look at the surroundings, as if someone was still there. She placed a hand next to her mouth, and with an expression that people would use when it came to secrets, she gave her answer.

"Do you want me to help you?"

He seemed surprised that she would be willing to even _dig in_ some information, but in his time at the hospital when they became friends, he knew one thing about her and it was that she was a girl full of curiosity. "You can do that?"

Her face brightened up. "Yeah, I'm buddies with a lot of the people here so it's not going to be hard to get some info."

"Sure, that's not a problem. You're really okay with this?" he asked, just to make sure. "I'll just say you're showing concern for your classmate. And I'm sure you have a good reason for you to want to know about this, but tell me soon what that reason is, okay?"

"Sure." Just as he answered that, something upstairs, that they both didn't hear, there was a strange creaking sound.

July 10, 1998

_2:54 P.M._

There was still no call, but Ichigo understood. Nurses are always busy, and it would take a while before Inoue would get enough time to ask her workmates about what he wanted to know. He didn't pay attention to Aizen's lecture about the Seven Crusades, for he already knew everything about that.

Then, while their teacher continued to talk, Hanatarou who is seated beside Ichigo, poked him on the shoulder. "Yeah, what is it?"

"There was something that we forgot to tell you... about the teachers." he felt disappointed that it wasn't about what Renji was about to tell him three days ago, but the fact that Hanatarou stopped him meant he didn't want him to know in the first place.

"Aizen isn't actually our official homeroom teacher. You see, our real teacher's name is Kurotsuchi, but two weeks before you came here had some personal matters to attend to and Aizen is his substitute until the end of this month."

"Is that so? How is this Kurotsuchi like?"

"Uh, I have to be honest with you though you won't like it. Though it was just for a while before he left, he is creepy and a little maniacal. He may know everything about what he is teaching us, but he has this madman-like vibe."

"Yeah, now I don't really like it." Hanatarou chuckled from his reply and Ichigo caught Hitsugaya looking at him with fierce eyes. They weren't eyes of anger, but they were eyes that were trying to read him.

_3:33 P.M._

Ichigo joined Hanatarou in the locker room, putting their things back inside and Ichigo was about to take his leave when Hinamori called for him. He turned around and saw her, along with Ishida and Hitsugaya, the latter's eyes locked on him with the same eyes from a while ago.

"Is it okay if we can have a moment with you? We need to talk about something." Hinamori added. Maybe it was finally about something that he wanted to know, so he agreed.

They moved to a corner, and while everybody else was doing their club activities, the four of them started to talk.

"I see, you were born here, but after that you immediately transferred to Hachijou and lived there since then until recently." Ichigo nodded at Hitsugaya's summary of everything that he explained to the silverette. "You said that you visited here a few times, right?"

"Well, not so much."

Then relief washed over Toshiro's expression but he still looked as serious as ever. "Now I see."

"Why are you asking me this? You kind of asked the same questions when you visited me at the hospital." Ichigo asked, unable to hold himself from asking that anymore. "I keep on thinking that I met you some time before."

"Maybe you just mistook me for someone else." Ichigo answered, remembering nothing about seeing a boy like Hitsugaya in the past. "That's why I wanted to ask you." He looked away and let out an annoyed sigh. "Irritating." he muttered.

"Are you talking about me?" questioned the orange head, hearing what he just said. "Oh no. It's not you. What's irritating is that it's so difficult to remember it clearly." Hinamori patted her friend on the shoulder, "You shouldn't worry yourself too much over that, Hitsugaya-kun."

"As I'm in charge of the countermeasures, I must be concerned about that. No matter what happens, I must not fail my job." he replied, his voice full of respect and responsibility for his position.

"I already asked this at the hospital, but what do you mean by countermeasures? What is exactly your job?"

He turned again to Ichigo and this time answered him without hesitation. "My job as head of the countermeasures is to devise and execute methods that protect our class, those methods being the countermeasures."

"Okay... that clears only one-hundredth of what I'm suspecting." Hitsugaya expected that. They didn't tell him anything yet, and now's the time or let things become worse. "I want you to know the situation that you and our whole class is in and the rules that you have to follow."

Like in Renji's case, Ishida, Hinamori and Hanatarou stopped him from continuing as they walked close and circled around him, telling him something that Ichigo couldn't hear. Then he noticed Ulquiorra walking out the gate, just as Hitsugaya spoke up with an angered voice.

"What? I was absent just for one day and this is what happens? Seriously, the lot of you are so..." he lashed out at the three of them, rubbing his forehead that's starting to form veins.

"See you later." Ichigo bid, following Ulquiorra. The four were surprised, for they know who is he walking towards to.

Hitsugaya didn't stop him, but he looked clearly angry though the anger wasn't directed at the orange head. He bit his lip so hard, that it bled.

"Damn it."

_3:40 P.M._

Ichigo quietly followed Ulquiorra, who seemed to not notice him. The road was quite long, as the albino didn't stop walking until when finally he stopped by a small house that looked like a studio apartment. "This is a little strange to look at..." he commented when he saw the walls covered in dry branches.

Then at the glass window in front of him, there was a small and beautiful but creepy doll that seemed to be looking at him with its blank eyes.

He was taken by surprise when his phone rang, but was relieved at the number which was Inoue's. He pressed the call button and placed the phone next to his ear, immediately hearing a 'hello' from the other line.

"_Ichigo? I wanted to tell you that I finally got some information. Sorry it took a while._"

"I understand. You still have work after all."

"_The one who died is really a girl your age. But she looks like the boy that you described to me, with the exception of the eye patch, though._"

That was funny. He remembered Ulquiorra saying in the elevator that it was his _cousin_. So why would she be his look alike? That was very odd. But there was one more thing he had to be sure of. "And... what's her name?"

"_I'm not sure about her first name but I heard her last name's Schiffer or something like that._" It wasn't that much of a shock, but he knew that there was something relating Ulquiorra's cousin's death and the strange behavior of his class. "_Well, that's all I got for today._"

"Don't worry, you did more than enough. Thanks. Sure. Until next time." He hung up and gulped, taking slow steps towards the door.

When he entered, he immediately felt the gloomy atmosphere surrounding the whole room that was full of dolls, dressed or undressed, finished or unfinished.

"Hello." he saw that the person who greeted him is a woman in her twenties wearing glasses and her hair clipped up. "Are you here as a customer, or are you merely window shopping?" the woman asked in a low tone while looking down at the surface of the desk in front of her.

"Well... I'm actually looking for somebody. I'm a student from Karakura Elementary."

"Oh. I'll then give you half the price for admission." _Why does she look so monotone like him_, he thought. But there was a hint of loneliness in the woman's voice. "Is this a shop?"

"Sort of. Some dolls can't be sold, and some dolls can but at a very expensive price that not students in your level can afford. If you want, I can make you some tea." she offered. "It's really nice, but I'll pass. I'll just go look."

"Then take your time. You're the first customer I ever had."

Ichigo looked at each doll, each beautiful in their own way. When he caught sight of the sign that said 'More This Way', he went downstairs and saw more dolls than the ones upstairs. Again, each was different from the others and though the looks in their eyes and their soulless expressions would unnerve a lot of people, he didn't seem bothered at all.

Then he noticed a life-sized doll lying on a coffin, and he walked closer to see its face. It surprised him that the face resembled a lot like Ulquiorra with the exception of the eye tattoos. It looked so real that he actually thought that it was Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra, what are you doing?" he would laugh at himself later for talking to a doll when the real Ulquiorra spoke. "So you don't dislike these things?" He popped out from behind the coffin and Ichigo was a little startled.

"What a coincidence... I never expected that you would come here. Don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't hiding to get your surprised reaction. I was just back out there when you went down here." he assured, and Ichigo nodded.

"It looks a lot like me doesn't it? So much to the point that you thought it was me?"

"Yeah." The albino touched the doll's face and uncovered the bang covering its left eye which is color green. "But it's only half, or maybe less than half in different terms." he added. "So, why are you here?" The only thing that Ulquiorra said in return was the same question directed towards Ichigo. "Why are _you_ here, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

He had to make an excuse. He couldn't exactly say he was _following_ the boy. "I'm not so familiar with all of this town, and I was walking around and when I saw this place I got curious and wanted to see what's inside."

"Oh. You know, Kurosaki, many people get creeped out by the dolls, as if they are ghosts. Do you think the same?" The orange head shook his head and Ulquiorra walked to another area. "I like these two the most." he pointed to a set of two dolls joined to each other. "It always interested me to how can they look so serene while being stuck to one another."

"Maybe that's why they're calm?"

"It would have made more sense if they were calm when they're split apart." Then he turned to Ichigo, his eye glowing from the light above him. "So, shall I show you?"

"Huh?"

A smile formed on Ulquiorra's lips, his hands touching the cloth covering his left eye. "Shall I show you, what is beneath _this_?" Ichigo started to grow nervous. Whatever he might see, he had to be prepared for the worst.

Without erasing the smile on his face, he removed the bands that kept his eye patch on and slowly lowered it, showing his other eye to Ichigo who seemed surprised at what he saw.

**_To be continued..._ **

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><p><strong>AN: I chose to follow the anime adaptation, since the manga follows the novel and it's too gory for elementary students to handle. Since the anime may be scary but is milder, I'll go with the anime storyline.**


	3. June: Extra Chapter

**Disclaimer: Bleach will never be mine.**

**A/N: This is an extra chapter of Almarhum, about what happens before Ichigo starts going to school.  
><strong>

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><p><span>June 29, 1998<span>

_7:31 A.M.  
><em>

They were supposed to know about it long before, but they only received word of it now. So they all gathered around, and talked about the topic that quickly instilled fear in their souls. The happiness that they once had immediately died, rotting to nothing.

"So, there's supposed to be thirty one of us and not thirty?" Yukio asked Ishida, who nodded with a grim look. "That's right. But right now he has a condition of both bad legs and another that has something to do with his breathing, or so I heard from Aizen."

"Now we have one extra seat. What should we do? There's a high chance that the calamity will happen this year." questioned Riruka with her voice cracking but her fellow classmates understood why.

The others muttered to each other their worries about them dying, which they fear so much.

But the noise full of nothing but wishes of not dying was stopped by one of the students.

"That's enough. I can't stand it that we're just standing here in a circle, doing nothing but worry and worry. If it will help you all, I'll take charge in the countermeasures." Hitsugaya said, which shocked a few.

"You don't have to do that..." Hinamori whispered to him.

"That's right. I know you're always the responsible one here but this will take a huge toll on you. I hear that some of those who take charge in the countermeasures in the previous years lose their minds." Renji added, feeling concerned for his friend.

He shoot a hard look at them, to know that he really made up his mind.

"Even before school started, I always thought about it should this ever happen. Now I'll take responsibility to make sure that none of us will die from this curse."

They're like in a drama movie, but the matter is too serious to think about that. Nobody made a sound for a few minutes.

"All that's left is to choose who will be treated as the nonexistent one." Tatsuki stated, which caught their attention. "We're not going to act like that person is a ghost right now, right?" asked Yachiru, her voice still sounding bubbly but she also felt tense.

"Not yet. Not until the thirty-first student is here. For now, we're just going to have to decide." the silverette answered.

"But who?" the spikehead asked, knowing that it won't be easy. It would have to be throughout the whole year and it might emotionally scar whoever they choose.

Just then, another student entered.

"Sorry. Something happened at home." he apologized quietly, and all their eyes are glued at him. "What's going on? What did I miss?" he asked, the monotone of his voice never changing.

"Ulquiorra, you should know something." a boy who has long ebony hair and moonlit eyes (Byakuya) told him, while patting a nervous Rukia on the shoulder for his younger brother was literally shaking.

"There... is a chance that the calamity might happen this year." Byakuya said quietly, approaching the unfazed albino. Ulquiorra did not gasp or make a reaction of surprise, but he was also surprised.

He quickly let one question slip from his mouth. "Who will be the nonexistent student?"

"We're not yet decided on it. But we don't know how to select that person."

Without any more replies, the emerald-eyed student took out an empty page from his sketchpad and tore it until there are thirty pieces. He quickly wrote his name, and handed the remaining twenty-nine to them.

"It's best if we decide by this. Write your names on each." suggested Ulquiorra, and the others said no answer but the fact that they took one piece and wrote their names with their pens meant that they agreed with him. In a minute, all their papers aer folded into two and placed on the table.

Creatively enough, Riruka took out an empty bowl that she was going to use for her cooking lessons, and the others watched as she placed all the papers inside, and shook it several times before setting it on the table.

They were acting like they're in a cult, but no matter. Class 3: Section 2 always becomes a dark class when there is excess seats.

"So, who is going to pick?" Renji asked, his arms crossing while his eyes remained glued on the bowl. Hitsugaya didn't volunteer to pick. Neither Hinamori or Ishida, or the others. It became so silent again, that they could hear the chatting of the students from the other sections outside.

A pale hand rose into the air, and steady footsteps headed for the bowl. His fingers hovered over the papers, that would also be trembling from fear if they are ever living things.

Some swallowed silently, hoping that it won't be them but at the same time they're worried for whoever will be picked.

Ulquiorra's hand quickly dug down in the stack and picked a folded piece, and he slipped it open to see who. Again, he makes no reaction as he calmly states...

"It's me. So, there you have it."

Others gasped. Hinamori and Riruka looked at him with slight grief. Though he was always the weird one, nobody had any ill will against him. No one held a grudge or any hard feelings. Byakuya closed his eyes, feeling bitter. Rukia chewed on his thumb. Renji looked away, feeling a little shame. Hitsugaya made no expression outside by inside he felt a little sorry.

"The good part is there is still a week before you start ignoring me." Ulquiorra said, after seeing their solemn expressions. But that was just cold comfort.

But it's almost July now, so they skipped a month without any deaths. There could be a good chance that it won't happen.

Unfortunately...

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><p><em>A day ago...<em>

"Amaya..." a silent whisper flew out his lips when he saw a lifeless hand. A hand patted him on the head, coming from another person who is just as solemn as him.

"I know, Ulquiorra, I know."

**_To be continued..._**

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><p><strong>AN: I guess it won't hurt if I add a few twists myself, right?**


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